Monday, March 27, 2006

Wednesday is my first "blogiversary," so I've been reading a lot of old entries lately. I finally found my way back to the very first entry, Filet de boeuf au livarot. Since I made this when I was alone in Paris and the Boy had gone off to China, no one every tasted how good it was. So last Friday night, I made it again. I had to adjust a few things as is my way and I liked it even better this time than the last. My steaks, Rib-Eyes instead of Filets de boeuf, were fat and could really stand up to such a strong sauce. I also used a very big, very fat Onion, which cut through the rich Cheese Sauce. And, of course, a healthy dose of Piment d'Espelette. On the side, we had the season's first asparagus which were perfectly tender but still crunchy. And a light Onion-Orange Salad that Mom made. To drink we had a great bottle of Bordeaux. The meat and sauce really called for a full-bodied Wine. Surprisingly, none of this is difficult to make, so, even though it looks fancy, it's pretty simple. Whenever pan-grilling meat, it always needs to rest afterwards so the juices can redistribute. That resting time is just how much time you need to make the Livarot sauce. For those who don't know, Livarot is a washed-rind cow's milk cheese from Normandy. If it's not available, you can substitute any washed-rind or full-flavored "stinky" cheese such as Maroilles, Limburger or Harz.Rib-Eye steaks au livarot3 Rib-Eye Steaks6 cloves Garlic3 teaspoons AllspiceSalt and Pepper, to tasteCanola Oil2 cloves Garlic, chopped (for sauce)1 Yellow Onion, chopped1/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Juice1/4 cup Water20 cl Milk1/4 wheel Livarot, cut into small piecesSalt and Piment d'Espelette, to taste3 sprigs Parsley

Mash 6 cloves Garlic with Allspice, Salt and Pepper. Rub mixture over Steaks and let sit for 5-20 minutes. Heat up a skillet over high heat. A cast-iron skillet works really well here. Grease with Canola Oil. Cook Steaks one at a time, 2 minutes per side for rare; 4 minutes for medium-rare. Place Steaks on a plate in the oven to keep warm. Make sure oven is off or else Steaks will continue cooking.Turn heat down to low and cook Garlic and Onion until Onion is beginning to brown. Turn heat back up to high and de-glaze pan with Apple Juice and Water, scraping up any little burnt peices of Meat, Garlic or Onion. Turn heat back down to low and add Milk and Cheese. Spread cheese around pan until fully liquefied and evenly distributed. aAdd Salt and Piment d'Espelette, to taste.To serve: Spoon Sauce over Steaks and add 1 sprig of Parsley to each Steak.Serves 3, though the Sauce could be stretched to serve more.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Alanna, over at A Veggie Venture, has declared that Broccoli Raab is the new spinach. Although I was inclined to agree with her, I decided the time had come to test her theory. Spinach has long been my favorite vegetable and I wasn't quite prepared to make it give up its status. So, rather than making plain steamed spinach with garlic and olive oil as I normally do, I decided to make a more filling side dish one night to go with the simple gray sole Mom was preparing. I'm calling this a frittata, though it's somewhere between that and a crustless quiche. Either way, it was eggy, spinachy and very cheesy--definitely a good source for calcium! I used two whole bunches of spinach for four people and, probably because we're all big eaters, there were only two pieces left the next day, which Mom and I heated and devoured for lunch. Although this does have a long cooking time, it's a very easy preparation, which means you can do lots of other things while it's in the oven, such as prepare the rest of dinner or watch an episode of Top Chef (Bravo's new reality show about people becoming top chefs and, hence, my new addiction). The recipe calls for shredded cheese and I was very lazy and bought my cheese pre-shredded, with delicious results, so don't be afraid of taking that shortcut.Frittata d'epinards, oeufs et trois fromages6 tablespoons Butter1 Yellow Onion, chopped12 oz. Cheddar Cheese, shredded12 oz. Mozzarella Cheese, shredded8 oz. Cottage Cheese6 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour6 Eggs, beaten2 bunches Spinach, cleaned, torn into small piecesPre-heat oven to 350 F. Melt Butter. Saute Onion in it until soft. In a very large bowl, combine Cheeses. Add Flour, mix well. Add Onion and Butter and mix all together. Pour in Eggs and make sure they are thoroughly combined with the rest. Add spinach and mix once more. Pour into a greased baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Mix everything up again in the pan to ensure it cooks evenly. Bake for another 30 minutes.

Friday, March 17, 2006

I made this a while ago for a light, easy dinner and just found the picture on my computer, so I decided to post it. Mom had made a big pot of chicken soup and didn't know what to do with the hunks of chicken she'd poached while making the soup, so I made this simple, creamy sauce. With the chicken already cooked and tender, it took maybe ten minutes to assemble everything. Because I wasn't cooking the sauce, I took the opportunity to use my Fleur de Sel aux Epices I bought in Guerande so many months ago. This was fantastic, but I'm sure the sauce would work just as well with any good Salt or Spice Blend you prefer. I highly recommend it, not just for chicken, but for raw vegetables or plain-cooked fish. Enjoy!Dill Sauce3 Shallots, minced3 sprigs Dill, choppedJuice of 1/2 Lemon1 1/4 cups Sour CreamFleur de Sel aux Epices and Black Pepper, to taste.Mix all ingredients together. Chill until serving.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

After what was perhaps the most intense two-month period of work, I am finally on vacation in New York and had some free-time tonight to do some cooking. Unfortunately, my camera is MIA after I left it at my cousins' months ago and Mom and Dad's is out of batteries, so there are no photos documenting my return to cooking. No matter. The soup was delicious, but not a looker.Being lazy and still not having much time, I made this soup with Broth from boxes (they are organic...) so I'm sure it would be even better with homemade Stock. The Dumplings were a pleasant change of texture in the soup, but could easily be left out. Also, because I used so much meat and vegetables, the soup ended up being more like a hearty stew.I was pleased to notice that Alanna, over at A Veggie Venture, is hunting for Broccoli Raab recipes. Broccoli Raab is such a wonderful, spicy green--more people should start using it and loving it.Turkey Soup with Broccoli Raab and DumplingsSoup:2 cups Chicken Broth1 1/2 cups Vegetable Stock1 skinless, boneless Turkey Breast, as defatted as possibleHot Red Pepper Flakes, to taste1/2 teaspoon Spice Blend (I used Weber Gourmet Barbecue Rub)2 cloves Garlic, mincedSalt and Black Pepper, to taste1 small Carrot, chopped10 stalks Broccoli Raab, including leaves and florets, chopped2 Mushrooms, sliced2 stalks Celery, dicedDumplings:1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour4-5 tablespoons Water1 large EggGarnish:1 small Shallot, chopped2 sprigs Parsley, chopped2 sprigs Chives, choppedIn a large saucepan, bring Chicken Broth and Vegetable Stock to a boil. Dice Turkey Breast and add to Stocks. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until Turkey is cooked through, about 10 minutes.Add Pepper Flakes, Spice Blend, Garlic, Salt and Pepper. Cook 5-10 more minutes to combine flavors. Add vegetables and simmer for 15 minutes, until tender.Meanwhile, prpare the Dumpling Dough. Mix together Flour, Water and Egg in a small bowl. Mix well until you have a soft dough. Pour Dough into a colander placed on top of saucepan. Push dough through holes in colander, scraping bottom with a knife or spoon if the dough is sticking too much. Don't worry about the shapes; they will vary in size, which makes them all the more fun. Add Shallot. Cook 5-10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle Parlsey and Chives on top. Serve.